Despite federal judges calling it unconstitutional, two Tampa Bay area lawmakers are pushing for some welfare recipients to be required to take drug tests to receive benefits.

Author:
KXTV Staff

Published:
11:07 AM PDT April 5, 2017

Updated:
11:07 AM PDT April 5, 2017

Despite federal judges calling it unconstitutional, two Tampa Bay area lawmakers are pushing for some welfare recipients to be required to take drug tests to receive benefits.

Our news partners at The Tampa Bay Times report Rep. Chris Latvala, R-Clearwater, is sponsoring the legislation along with his father, Senate appropriations chairman Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater. The bill would require applicants for Temporary Assistance for Needy Families to take the tests if they have been convicted of a drug-related felony in the past 10 years.

In 2011, Gov. Rick Scott signed a bill requiring all TANF applicants to be drug-tested, but federal judges said the law was overly broad and violated privacy rights of applicants whom the state had no reason to suspect.